Electronic aerosol provision system

ABSTRACT

An aerosol provision system for generating aerosol from an aerosol-generating material. The system comprises an article comprising the aerosol-generating material and an aerosol provision device configured to engage with the article and to enable generation of aerosol from the aerosol-generating material. The system further includes detection circuitry for detecting when the article is engaged and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device, and control circuitry for controlling operation of the aerosol provision device. The control circuitry is configured to switch the aerosol provision device from a first operating mode to a second operating mode when the control circuitry determines the article has been engaged with and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device a plurality of times. By requiring both that the user must engage and/or disengage the article and the device, and that the user must do so a plurality of times, further reduces the chances of the user inadvertently switching to the second operating mode. Also disclosed is an aerosol provision device and a method for switching from the first operating mode to the second operating mode.

PRIORITY CLAIM

The present application is a National Phase entry of PCT Application No. PCT/EP2021/050112, filed Jan. 6, 2021, which claims priority from Great Britain Application No. 2000221.8, filed Jan. 8, 2020, each of which is hereby fully incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to electronic aerosol provision systems such as nicotine delivery systems (e.g. electronic cigarettes and the like).

BACKGROUND

Electronic aerosol provision systems such as electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) generally contain an aerosol precursor material, such as a reservoir of a source liquid containing a formulation, typically including nicotine, or a solid material such as a tobacco-based product, from which an aerosol is generated, e.g. through heat vaporization. An aerosol source for an aerosol provision system may thus comprise a vaporizer, e.g., a heating element, arranged to vaporize a portion of the aerosol precursor material. As a user inhales on the device and electrical power is supplied to the vaporizer, air is drawn into the device through inlet holes and into the vapor generation chamber where the air mixes with the vaporized precursor material and forms a condensation aerosol. Such devices are usually provided with one or more air inlet holes located away from a mouthpiece end of the system. When a user sucks on a mouthpiece connected to the mouthpiece end of the system, air is drawn in through the inlet holes and past the aerosol source. There is a flow path connecting between the aerosol source and an opening in the mouthpiece so that air drawn past the aerosol source continues along the flow path to the mouthpiece opening, carrying some of the aerosol from the aerosol source with it. The aerosol-carrying air exits the aerosol provision system through the mouthpiece opening for inhalation by the user.

Such aerosol provision devices usually require activation of a button on the device by a user pressing on the button or activation of a puff sensor by inhaling on the device to generate an aerosol for inhalation. While such systems are often intuitive and easy to use, this provides certain drawbacks, particular if the devices end up in the hands of minors / children. It is desirable to provide a device which has a low or zero chance of being inadvertently activated, especially by minors / children.

Various approaches are described which seek to help address some of these issues.

SUMMARY

According to a first aspect of certain embodiments there is provided an aerosol provision system for generating aerosol from an aerosol-generating material, the system comprising: an article comprising the aerosol-generating material; an aerosol provision device configured to engage with the article and to enable generation of aerosol from the aerosol-generating material; detection circuitry for detecting when the article is engaged and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device; and control circuitry for controlling operation of the aerosol provision device, wherein the control circuitry is configured to switch the aerosol provision device from a first operating mode to a second operating mode when the control circuitry determines the article has been engaged with and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device a plurality of times.

According to a second aspect of certain embodiments there is provided an aerosol provision device for use with an aerosol generating system for generating aerosol from an aerosol-generating material, the system comprising an article comprising the aerosol-generating material, the aerosol provision device comprising: an interface configured to engage with the article and to enable generation of aerosol from the aerosol-generating material; detection circuitry for detecting when the article is engaged and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device; and control circuitry for controlling operation of the aerosol provision device, wherein the control circuitry is configured to switch the aerosol provision device from a first operating mode to a second operating mode when the control circuitry determines the article has been engaged with and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device a plurality of times.

According to a third aspect of certain embodiments there is provided a method of switching an aerosol provision device from a first operating mode to a second operating mode, the method comprising: detecting when an article comprising aerosol-generating material is engaged and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device; and switching the aerosol provision device from a first operating mode to a second operating mode when the article has been engaged with and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device a plurality of times.

It will be appreciated that features and aspects of the invention described above in relation to the first and other aspects of the invention are equally applicable to, and may be combined with, embodiments of the invention according to other aspects of the invention as appropriate, and not just in the specific combinations described above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 schematically shows an aerosol provision system including a device part and a replaceable cartridge comprising a liquid aerosol generating material in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic arrangement of aspects of the aerosol provision system of FIG. 1 depicting the arrangement of the detection circuitry in accordance with a first implementation;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic arrangement of aspects of the aerosol provision system of FIG. 1 depicting the arrangement of the detection circuitry in accordance with a second implementation;

FIGS. 4 to 7 each show different methods for switching the operating mode of the aerosol provision system from a sleep mode to an active mode in accordance with different aspects of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 8 shows a method for switching the operating mode of the aerosol provision system from an active mode to a sleep mode in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments are discussed / described herein. Some aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments may be implemented conventionally and these are not discussed / described in detail in the interests of brevity. It will thus be appreciated that aspects and features of apparatus and methods discussed herein which are not described in detail may be implemented in accordance with any conventional techniques for implementing such aspects and features.

As described above, the present disclosure relates to non-combustible aerosol provision systems that release compounds from an aerosol-generating material without combusting or burning the aerosol-generating material in order to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user, such as electronic cigarettes (or e-cigarettes), tobacco heating products, and hybrid systems to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials. Furthermore, and as is common in the technical field, the terms “vapor” and “aerosol”, and related terms such as “vaporize”, “volatilize” and “aerosolize”, may generally be used interchangeably.

Aerosol-generating material is a material that is capable of generating aerosol, for example when heated, irradiated or energized in any other way. Aerosol-generating material may, for example, be in the form of a solid, liquid or gel which may or may not contain an active substance and/or flavorants. In some implementations, the aerosol-generating material may comprise an “amorphous solid”, which may alternatively be referred to as a “monolithic solid” (i.e. non-fibrous). In some implementations, the amorphous solid may be a dried gel. The amorphous solid is a solid material that may retain some fluid, such as liquid, within it. In some implementations, the aerosol-generating material may for example comprise from about 50 wt%, 60 wt% or 70 wt% of amorphous solid, to about 90 wt%, 95 wt% or 100 wt% of amorphous solid. The aerosol-generating material may comprise one or more active substances and/or flavors, one or more aerosol-former materials, and optionally one or more other functional material. The aerosol-former material may comprise one or more constituents capable of forming an aerosol, for example, glycerol or propylene glycol. As used herein, the terms “flavor” and “flavorant” refer to materials which, where local regulations permit, may be used to create a desired taste or aroma in a product for adult consumers.

In some implementations, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an electronic cigarette, also known as a vaping device or electronic nicotine delivery system (END), although it is noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosol-generating material is not a requirement.

In some implementations, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an aerosol-generating material heating system, also known as a heat-not-burn system. An example of such a system is a tobacco heating system.

In some implementations, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is a hybrid system to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials, one or a plurality of which may be heated. Each of the aerosol-generating materials may be, for example, in the form of a solid, liquid or gel and may or may not contain nicotine. In some embodiments, the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel aerosol-generating material and a solid aerosol-generating material. The solid aerosol-generating material may comprise, for example, tobacco or a non-tobacco product.

Aerosol provision systems often, though not always, comprise a modular assembly including both an aerosol provision device (sometimes referred to as a reusable part) and an article comprising aerosol-generating material (sometimes referred to as a consumable or a replaceable part). In some implementations, the article will comprise the aerosol-generating material and an aerosol generator (the component responsible for vaporizing / aerosolizing the aerosol-generating material), while the aerosol provision device will comprise a power supply (e.g. rechargeable battery), an activation mechanism (e.g. a puff sensor), and control circuitry. However, it will be appreciated these different parts may also comprise further elements depending on functionality.

For such modular systems, an article and aerosol provision device are able to be engaged with one another. For example, the article may be mechanically (and sometimes also electrically) coupled to the aerosol provision device, for example using a screw thread, latching or bayonet fixing with appropriately engaging electrical contacts. When the aerosol-generating material in the article is exhausted, or the user wishes to switch to a different article having a different aerosol-generating material, the article may be removed from the aerosol provision device and a replacement article engaged in its place. Systems conforming to this type of two-part modular configuration may generally be referred to as two-part systems or multi-part devices.

The following description will focus on embodiments in which the aerosol provision system is one in which a source liquid as the aerosol-generating material is vaporized to generate an aerosol for user inhalation. In such embodiments, the article is more commonly referred to as a cartridge. The cartridge mechanically engages with the aerosol provision device as described above. However, it should be appreciated that the principles of the present disclosure are applicable to aerosol provision systems capable of vaporizing different aerosol-generating materials, such as tobacco and/or gels, as described above.

Generally speaking, the present disclosure relates to an aerosol provision system in which the system is operable in a first mode, in which no aerosol is able to be generated, and a second mode, in which aerosol is able to be generated. In order to transition from the first operational mode to the second operational mode, the user is required to perform a certain action which requires a degree of dexterity and prior knowledge. More specifically, the proposed system detects when a removable article containing an aerosol-generating material is engaged with or disengaged with an aerosol provision device, and based on the detection of a plurality of instances of engagements and/or disengagements of the article with the device, the system switches from the first to the second operating modes.

Thus, broadly speaking, performing an engagement or disengagement of the article with the aerosol provision device at least twice in order to enter an active mode in which aerosol is able to be generated provides a level of user interaction which is above a normal user interaction with the system (e.g., replacing the article due to the aerosol-generating material being exhausted). In this regard, using the engagement or disengagement of the article as a user-input mechanism provides, firstly, a less intuitive input mechanism than, say, a push button, at least to the uninformed user. Additionally, depending on the engagement mechanism, engaging and disengaging the article may require certain dexterity to be able to perform this action (and in some implementations, to perform this action within certain time limits). Both of these aspects aim to reduce the chances of the device being inadvertently switched to an operational mode in which a user may generate aerosol, particularly with respect to children. The combination of these two factors is considered to be particularly effective in preventing accidental activation. In addition, and as described in several implementations below, increasing the complexity of how the engagements and/or disengagements are detected and registered as an input further decreases the chances of the device being inadvertently activated.

It is relatively common for such aerosol provision devices to have a generally elongate shape and, for the sake of providing a concrete example, certain implementations of the disclosure described herein will be taken to comprise a generally elongate multi-part device employing disposable cartridges. However, it will be appreciated the underlying principles described herein may equally be adopted for different modular configurations, for example modular devices comprising more than two parts, and hybrid devices which include an additional flavor element disposed in the aerosol pathway, as well as devices conforming to other overall shapes, for example based on so-called box-mod high performance devices that typically have a more box-like shape. More generally, it will be appreciated certain implementations of the disclosure are based on aerosol provision devices that are configured to provide activation functionality in accordance with the principles described herein, and the specific constructional aspects of aerosol provision system configured to provide the described activation functionality are not of primary significance.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view through an example aerosol provision system 1 in accordance with certain aspects of the disclosure. The aerosol provision system 1 comprises two main components, namely an aerosol provision device 2 (sometimes referred to as a device part) and a replaceable / disposable cartridge 4.

The device part 2 comprises components that are intended to have a longer lifetime than the cartridge 4. In other words, the device part 2 is intended to be used, sequentially, with multiple cartridges 4. The cartridge comprises components that are consumed when forming an aerosol for delivery to the user during use of the aerosol provision system 1. In FIG. 1 , the cartridge 4 comprises an aerosol-generating material, and more specifically a source liquid such as an e-liquid, which is vaporized to form an aerosol.

In normal use, the device part 2 and the cartridge 4 are releasably coupled together at a first interface 6. When the e-liquid in the cartridge 4 is exhausted or the user simply wishes to switch to a different cartridge 4, the cartridge 4 may be removed from the device part 2 and a replacement cartridge 4 attached to the device part 2 in its place. The interface 6 provides a structural, electrical and air path connection between the device part 2 and cartridge 4 and may be established in accordance with broadly conventional techniques, for example based around a screw thread, latch mechanism, bayonet fixing or magnetic coupling with appropriately arranged electrical contacts and openings for establishing the electrical connection and air path between the two parts as appropriate. The specific manner by which the cartridge 4 mechanically mounts to the device part 2 is not of primary significance to the principles described herein.

In FIG. 1 , the cartridge part 4 comprises a cartridge housing 42 formed of a plastics material. The cartridge housing 42 supports other components of the cartridge and provides the mechanical interface 6 with the device part 2. The cartridge housing 42 is generally circularly symmetric about a longitudinal axis along which the cartridge 4 couples to the device part 2. In this example the cartridge 4 has a length of around 4 cm and a diameter of around 1.5 cm. However, it will be appreciated the specific geometry, and more generally the overall shapes and materials used, may be different in different implementations.

Within the cartridge housing 42 is a reservoir 44 that, in the described example, contains a liquid aerosol-generating material. The liquid aerosol-generating material may be conventional, and may be referred to as e-liquid. The e-liquid may contain nicotine and/or other active ingredients, and/or a one or more flavors. In some implementations, the e-liquid may contain no nicotine.

The liquid reservoir 44 in this example has an annular shape with an outer wall defined by the cartridge housing 42 and an inner wall that defines an air path 52 through the cartridge 4. The reservoir 44 is closed at each end with end walls to contain the liquid. The reservoir 44 may be formed in accordance with conventional techniques, for example it may comprise a plastics material and be integrally molded with the cartridge housing 42.

The cartridge 4 further comprises an aerosol generator 48. The aerosol generator 48 is an apparatus configured to cause aerosol to be generated from the aerosol-generating material. In some implementations, such as the described implementation, the aerosol generator 48 is a heater 48 configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to heat energy, so as to release one or more volatiles from the aerosol-generating material to form an aerosol. In other implementations, the aerosol generator 48 is configured to cause an aerosol to be generated from the aerosol-generating material without heating. For example, the aerosol generator 48 may be configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to one or more of vibration, increased pressure, or electrostatic energy.

By way of a concrete example, the aerosol generator 48 in the example of FIG. 1 comprises a heater 48 which is provided in conjunction with a wick 46 located towards an end of the reservoir 44. In this example the wick 46 extends transversely across the cartridge air path 52 with its ends extending into the reservoir 44 of e-liquid through openings in the inner wall of the reservoir 44. The openings in the inner wall of the reservoir are sized to broadly match the dimensions of the wick 46 to provide a reasonable seal against leakage from the liquid reservoir 44 into the cartridge air path 52 without unduly compressing the wick, which may be detrimental to its fluid transfer performance.

The wick 46 and heater 48 are arranged in the cartridge air path 52 such that a region of the cartridge air path 52 around the wick 46 and heater 48 in effect defines a vaporization region for the cartridge 4. E-liquid in the reservoir 44 infiltrates the wick 46 through the ends of the wick extending into the reservoir 44 and is drawn along the wick by surface tension / capillary action (i.e. wicking). The heater 48 in this example comprises an electrically resistive wire coiled around the wick 46. In use, electrical power may be supplied to the heater 48 to vaporize an amount of e-liquid drawn to the vicinity of the heater 48 by the wick 46. In this example the heater 48 comprises a nickel chrome alloy (Cr20Ni80) wire and the wick 46 comprises a glass fiber bundle, but it will be appreciated the specific aerosol generator configuration is not significant to the principles described herein. For example, in other implementations, the wick may be formed from cotton or cotton fibers. In some other implementations, the aerosol generator may comprise a porous ceramic wick and an electrically conductive track disposed on a surface of the porous ceramic wick acting as the heater. In yet other implementations, the heater and wick may be combined into a single component, e.g., a plurality of sintered steel fibers forming a planar structure. The specific type of aerosol generator will be selected based on a number of criteria, including the type of aerosol-generating material to be vaporized.

The rate at which e-liquid is vaporized by the aerosol generator (heater) 48 will depend in part on the amount (level) of power supplied to the heater 48 during use. Thus, electrical power can be applied to the heater 48 to selectively generate vapor from the e-liquid in the cartridge 4, and furthermore, the rate of vapor generation can be changed by changing the amount of power supplied to the heater 48, for example through pulse width and/or frequency modulation techniques.

The aerosol is delivered to the user via outlet 50 provided at an end of the cartridge 4 opposite to the end of the cartridge defining the interface 6. This end of the cartridge 4 may be referred to as the mouthpiece end. During use, the user may place their lips around the mouthpiece end of the cartridge 4 and draw air / aerosol through the outlet 50. Although FIG. 1 shows the mouthpiece end of the cartridge 4 as being an integral part of the cartridge 4, a separate mouthpiece component may be provided which releasably couples to the end of the cartridge 4.

The device part 2 comprises an outer housing 12 with an opening that defines an air inlet 28 for the aerosol provision system 1, a battery 26 for providing operating power for the aerosol provision system 1, a control circuitry 20 for controlling and monitoring the operation of the aerosol provision system 1, detection circuitry 22 for detecting when the cartridge 4 is engaged with or disengaged from the device part 2, and an inhalation sensor (puff detector) 16, which in this example comprises a pressure sensor located in a pressure sensor chamber 18. The device part 2 further comprises an optional indicator 14.

The outer housing 12 may be formed, for example, from a plastics or metallic material and in this example has a circular cross-section generally conforming to the shape and size of the cartridge 4 so as to provide a smooth transition between the two parts at the interface 6. In this example, the device part has a length of around 8 cm so the overall length of the aerosol provision system when the cartridge 4 and device part are coupled together is around 12 cm. However, and as already noted, it will be appreciated that the overall shape and scale of an aerosol provision system implementing an embodiment of the disclosure is not significant to the principles described herein.

The battery 26 in this example is rechargeable and may be of a conventional type, for example of the kind normally used in aerosol provision systems and other applications requiring provision of relatively high currents over relatively short periods. The battery 26 may be recharged through a charging connector in the reusable part housing 12, for example a USB connector. The battery 26 may be, for example, a lithium ion battery.

The outer housing 12 further comprises an air inlet 28 which connects to an air path 30 through the device part 2. The device part air path 30 in turn connects to the cartridge air path 52 across the interface 6 when the device part 2 and cartridge 4 are connected together. The pressure sensor chamber 18 containing the pressure sensor 16 is in fluid communication with the air path 30 in the device part 2 (i.e. the pressure sensor chamber 18 branches off from the air path 30 in the device part 2). While a pressure sensor 16 is described, it should be appreciated that any other suitable (air) flow sensor may alternatively be used in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure, e.g., a microphone or a hotwire anemometer.

Thus, when a user inhales on the opening 50, there is a drop in pressure in the pressure sensor chamber 18 that may be detected by the pressure sensor 16 and also air is drawn in through the air inlet 28, along the reusable part air path 30, across the interface 6, through the vapor generation region in the vicinity of the heater 48 (where vaporized e-liquid becomes entrained in the air flow when the heater 48 is active), along the cartridge air path 52, and out through the opening 50 for user inhalation. In the aerosol provision system 1 of FIG. 1 , the aerosol provision system 1 is controlled to generate aerosol is response to detecting an inhalation by a user. That is, when the pressure sensor 16 detects a drop in pressure in the pressure sensor chamber 18, and depending on the current operating mode of the aerosol provision device (described in more detail below), the control circuitry 20 responds by supplying power from the battery 26 to the aerosol generator (heater 48) sufficient to cause vaporization of the e-liquid held within the wick 48. Such systems are said to be “puff actuated”. In this regard, the device part 2 shown in FIG. 1 does not comprise an additional user-input mechanism (e.g., a mechanically actuated button) which can be additionally or alternatively activated by a user to generate aerosol, although it should be appreciated that in other implementations an additional user-input mechanism may be provided.

The control circuitry 20 is suitably configured / programmed to control the operation of the aerosol provision system 1 to provide functionality in accordance with embodiments of the disclosure as described further herein, as well as for providing conventional operating functions of the aerosol provision system in line with the established techniques for controlling such systems. The control circuitry 20 may be considered to logically comprise various sub-units / circuitry elements associated with different aspects of the aerosol provision system’s operation and may be implemented by provision of a (micro)controller, processor, ASIC or similar form of control chip. The control circuitry 20 may be arranged to control any functionality associated with the system 1. By way of non-limiting examples only, the functionality may include the charging or recharging of the battery 26, the discharging of the battery 26 (i.e., for providing power to the heater 48), in addition to other functionality such as controlling visual indicators (e.g., LEDs) / displays, communication functionality for communicating with external devices, etc. The control circuitry 20 may be mounted to a printed circuit board (PCB). Note also that the functionality provided by the control circuitry 20 may be split across multiple circuit boards and / or across components which are not mounted to a PCB, and these additional components and / or PCBs can be located as appropriate within the aerosol provision device. For example, functionality of the control circuit 20 for controlling the (re)charging functionality of the battery 26 may be provided separately (e.g. on a different PCB) from the functionality for controlling the discharge of the battery 26.

In accordance with the principles of the present disclosure, the aerosol provision device 2 further comprises detection circuitry 22. The detection circuitry 22 is broadly configured to detect when the cartridge 4 is engaged and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device 2. The detection circuitry 22 may be comprised of a sensing element 22 a and a processing element 22 b (see FIGS. 2 and 3 ). The sensing element 22 a is configured to sense a parameter indicative of whether the cartridge 4 is engaged and/or disengaged with the device part 2, while the processing element 22 b is configured to make a determination of whether the cartridge 4 is engaged and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device 2. Although the detection circuitry 22 is shown as a distinct component from the control circuitry 20, it should be appreciated that the detection circuitry 22 and the control circuitry 20 may be integrated (that is the detection circuitry 22 may be a sub-unit of the control circuitry 20).

In some implementations, the detection circuitry 22 is configured to output a signal indicating the current engagement state of the aerosol provision system (that is, whether the cartridge is connected / engaged with the aerosol provision device 2, and/or whether the cartridge is disconnected / disengaged with the aerosol provision device 2). For example, the detection circuitry 22 may output a binary signal which is one (or high) when the cartridge 4 is engaged with the aerosol provision device 2 and which is zero (or low) when the cartridge 4 is disengaged with the aerosol provision device 2, or vice versa. The processing element 22 b may compare the sensed parameter sensed by the sensing element 22 a with a predetermined threshold and output the high or low signal based on whether the sensed parameter is above or below the threshold. In this regard, the binary signal is a series of discrete pulses having a duration corresponding to the length of time the cartridge is engaged/disengaged.

Alternatively, rather than output a signal indicative of the current engagement state, the detection circuitry 22 can be configured to output a signal indicating when the engagement state of the aerosol provision system changes. For example, this signal may be a discrete pulse each time the engagement state changes. The duration of the pulse in this instance may be significantly shorter than the length of time the cartridge 4 is actually engaged/disengaged with the device part 2. Equally, it should be appreciated that a discrete pulse may be generated either when the cartridge 4 changes from being engaged with the device part 2 to disengaged and/or when the cartridge 4 changes from being disengaged with the device part 2 to engaged. That is, the detection circuitry 22 may be configured to output a signal (pulse) only when the cartridge is engaged with the device (when the engagement state changes from disengaged to engaged), or only when the cartridge is disengaged with the device (when the engagement state changes from engaged to disengaged), or both when the cartridge is engaged with the device and when the cartridge is disengaged with the device. Equally, it should also be appreciated that the discrete pulses may be the same or different (in duration and/or intensity) depending on whether they represent an engagement or disengagement of the cartridge 4 with the device part 2. (In each of the above described implementations, the processing element 22 b may compare the difference between a currently sensed value of the monitored parameter with a previous value of the monitored parameter to a threshold and determine whether the cartridge 4 has changed from an engaged state to a disengaged state, or vice versa, on the basis of said comparison and subsequently output a corresponding signal when the state changes.

Additionally, and as will become more apparent later, it may not be necessary for the detection circuitry 22 to identify and communicate the current engagement state of the cartridge 4 and aerosol provision device 2 to the control circuitry 20. Rather, what is significant is that the detection circuitry 22 is able to output a signal that at least allows the control circuitry 20 to identify when the engagement state of the cartridge 4 and the device part 2 has changed / changes.

FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of parts of the aerosol provision system 1 of FIG. 1 further showing an exemplary arrangement of the detection circuitry 22 in accordance with an implementation of the present disclosure. Only components relevant for the discussion of how the function of the detection circuitry 22 operates in this implementation are shown, while other components are omitted for clarity. In addition, FIG. 2 shows the cartridge 4 and device part 2 separated from one another (i.e., disengaged from one another).

The detection circuitry 22 in FIG. 2 is arranged to sense an electrical property of the aerosol provision system 1, and more particularly, an electrical property of the circuitry of the aerosol provision system 1. The “circuitry” in this regard can include any suitable electrical circuitry that may be present within the aerosol provision system. However, typically, the cartridge 4 will comprise an electrical component (such as the heater 48) which is configured to receive power from the device part 2. Based on the presence or absence of the electrical component (and thus the cartridge 4), the electrical properties of the elements of the circuitry within the aerosol provision device 2 may vary as power is supplied to the circuitry. The sensing element 22 a is configured to sense an electrical property, such as an electrical resistance, of the circuitry, while the processing element 22 b is configured to make a determination of whether the cartridge 4 is engaged and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device 2 on the basis of a change in the electrical property.

In the example of FIG. 2 , a pair of electrical contacts 2 a is shown on the device part 2. The electrical contacts 2 a may take any suitable physical form as appropriate for the mechanical and electrical engagement mechanism that is employed in the aerosol provision system 1 but, for the purposes of clarity, are shown here as comprising two flat contact pads. The electrical contacts 2 a are separately electrically coupled to the control circuitry 20 via suitable wiring. The wiring allows the control circuitry 20 to supply power from the battery 26 to the electrical contacts 2 a. Additionally, FIG. 2 shows a pair of electrical contacts 4 a on the cartridge 4. Similarly to electrical contacts 2 a, the electrical contacts 4 a may take any suitable physical form as appropriate for the mechanical and electrical engagement mechanism that is employed in the aerosol provision system 1 but, for the purposes of clarity, are shown here as comprising two flat contact pads. The electrical contacts 4 a are respectively coupled to ends of the heater 48. When the cartridge 4 is engaged with the device part 2, the electrical contacts 2 a and 4 a electrically engage such that power provided by the control circuitry 20 can be supplied to the heater 48.

The detection circuitry 22 in this implementation is arranged to detect changes in the electrical resistance between the electrical contacts 2 a. In the absence of cartridge 4, the electrical contacts 2 a are not electrically coupled and as such the resistance between the two contacts 2 a is high. More specifically, this arrangement approximates an open circuit which, theoretically, has an electrical resistance value that approaches infinity. Conversely, when the cartridge 4 is electrically coupled to the device part 2, the resistance between the electrical contacts 2 a is proportional to, or approximately equal to, the resistance of the heater 48. More specifically, this arrangement approximates a closed circuit having a finite resistance which is significantly lower than the open circuit arrangement.

Accordingly, the detection circuitry 22 can be configured to monitor the resistance between the electrical contacts 2 a and detect when the cartridge 4 is engaged with or disengaged with the device part 2 based on changes in the resistance value. For example, when the resistance value drops below a threshold resistance value (set at a value greater than an expected resistance, or range of resistances, of the heater 48 but less than the expected or measured open circuit resistance value), the processing element 22 b determines that the cartridge 4 is connected to the device part 2. Conversely, if the resistance value rises above the threshold resistance value, the processing element 22 b determines the cartridge is disconnected from the device part 2.

In other implementations, and as described above, the processing element 22 b is configured to determine a difference in successively measured resistance values. For example, the processing element 22 b may store a previously measured resistance value. If the absolute difference between the successive resistance values exceeds a threshold, the processing element 22 b determines the cartridge 4 is connected to or disconnected from the device part 2.

In the example shown in FIG. 2 , the detection circuitry 22 is configured to measure the resistance of the circuitry of the aerosol provision system 1. In this regard, it should be appreciated that resistance may be monitored directly or indirectly (e.g., through voltage and/or current measurements). Equally, rather than calculate the resistance as such, the processing element 22 b may determine whether the cartridge 4 is engaged with the device part 2 or not may be made on the basis of monitoring changes in other electrical parameters, such as the potential difference between the electrical contacts 2 a.

Additionally, in the arrangement of FIG. 2 , it is described that a heater 48 is the electrical component in the cartridge 4 which receives power from the aerosol provision device 2 and thus forms a part of the circuitry of the aerosol provision system 1. However, it should be appreciated that a separate electrical component (i.e., separate from the heater 48) may be provided and used to make the determination of whether the cartridge is engaged with or disengaged with the aerosol provision device 2.

Additionally, in the arrangement of FIG. 2 , it is described and shown that the electrical contacts 2 a and 4 a make physical (and electrical contact) to form a complete circuit and thus allow power to be supplied to the cartridge 4. However, in other arrangements, power from the aerosol provision device 2 may be supplied wirelessly (i.e., without making physical contact between electrical components in the aerosol provision device and those in the cartridge 4). For example, although not shown, in some implementations, the aerosol provision device 2 may comprise an induction coil which is driven with an alternating current to generating a varying magnetic field. The cartridge 4 may be provided with a susceptor (which may act as the heater 48) which is a material that receives power/energy by penetration with a varying magnetic field and is heated by penetration with the varying magnetic field. The susceptor may be an electrically-conductive material, so that penetration thereof with a varying magnetic field causes induction heating of the heating material. The heating material may be magnetic material, so that penetration thereof with a varying magnetic field causes magnetic hysteresis heating of the heating material. The susceptor may be both electrically-conductive and magnetic, so that the susceptor is heatable by both heating mechanisms. When the susceptor is in a suitable proximity of the induction coil, the electrical properties of the circuitry of the aerosol provision device 2 change. For instance, the current drawn from battery 26 by the induction coil changes in the presence of the susceptor. In a similar manner to the above, the detection circuitry 22 can be configured to detect a change in electrical properties of the circuitry of the aerosol provision system 1 to determine whether the cartridge 4 is engaged with or disengaged with the aerosol provision device 2.

The configuration of the detection circuitry 22 as shown in FIG. 2 may be advantageous in certain implementations. For example, these arrangements may make use of the mechanism already present in the aerosol provision system 1 provided to supply power to the heater 48 to cause aerosol generation, and thus may reduce the overall component count and enable a retrofitting of the detection circuitry 22 to existing aerosol provision devices. Additionally, the electrical connection (wired or wireless) between the cartridge 4 and the device part 2 is reasonably reliable and is unlikely to be affected by background noise sources.

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of parts of the aerosol provision system 1 of FIG. 1 further showing an exemplary arrangement of the detection circuitry 22 in accordance with another implementation of the present disclosure. Only components relevant for the discussion of how the function of the detection circuitry 22 operates in this implementation are shown, while other components are omitted for clarity. In addition, FIG. 2 shows the cartridge 4 and device part 2 separated from one another (i.e., disengaged from one another).

Like the detection circuitry 22 in FIG. 2 , the detection circuitry 22 in FIG. 3 is configured to determine when the cartridge 4 is engaged and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device 2. However, unlike the detection circuitry in FIG. 2 , the detection circuitry 22 of FIG. 3 includes a sensing element 22 a which is configured to detect a property of the aerosol provision system which is distinct from the circuitry of the aerosol provision system.

For example, the sensing element 22 a of FIG. 3 may include a light sensor 22 a configured to detect the level of light received at the light sensor 22 a. In this regard, the light sensor 22 a may be arranged at the interface 6 between the cartridge 4 and the aerosol provision device 2 and accordingly detects the level of light that is received at the interface 6. When the cartridge 4 is engaged with the aerosol provision device 2, the cartridge physically prevents light from reaching the light sensor 22 a (particularly if the cartridge 4 is made of an opaque material). Accordingly, based on the amount of light received at the sensing element 22 a, the processing element 22 b is configured to determine whether the cartridge 4 is engaged or disengaged with aerosol provision device 2 (and equally, whether there is change in the engagement state between the cartridge 4 and the aerosol provision device 2) in a similar manner to as described in relation to FIG. 2 .

The specific criteria for determining whether the cartridge is engaged with the aerosol provision device or not may vary depending on how the system is configured. For example, some systems such as the one shown in FIG. 3 may be configured to monitor ambient light and look for changes in the level of ambient light received at the light sensor 22 a. Thus a decrease in the level of light received may be indicative of the cartridge 4 being engaged with the device part 2. Other systems may include a light source (not shown) which is arranged so as to direct light at the cartridge 4 when engaged with the aerosol provision device 2, and thus the level of light from the light source that is reflected by the cartridge 4 is detected by the sensing element 22 a. Thus an increase in the level of light received at the sensing element 22 a may be indicative of the cartridge 4 being engaged with the device part 2. The skilled person would readily be able to suitably configure the detection circuitry 22 as appropriate for the specific configuration at hand.

Thus, broadly speaking, the implementation shown by FIG. 3 is one in which the detection circuitry 22 senses a parameter which is independent of the electrical circuitry of the aerosol provision system arranged to provide power to the cartridge. Any suitable sensor may be used as the sensing element 22 a depending on the implementation at hand, for example a Hall effect sensor may alternatively be used to sense a magnetic field of a magnetic component located in the cartridge 4.

Although FIG. 3 shows the presence of electrical contacts 2 a on the aerosol provision device 2 and electrical contacts 4 a on the cartridge 4, the sensing of when the cartridge is engaged with the aerosol provision device 2 is performed independently of the electrical connection formed between the two parts. Hence, this configuration of using a sensing element 22 a which senses a parameter independent of the circuitry of the aerosol provision system arranged to provide power may be particularly suitable in situations where the heater 48 (or aerosol generator) may be located in the aerosol provision device 2. In such situations, forming an electrical connection between the aerosol provision device 2 and the article 4 may not be possible, and thus alternative parameters may be monitored.

In either implementation, the detection circuitry 22 may be configured to determine the current engagement state of the cartridge 4 and the aerosol provision device 2 on a continuous or a periodic basis. Operating on a periodic basis may be beneficial from an energy consumption and processing resource basis, but the periodicity (or frequency) with which the detection circuitry determines when the cartridge 4 is engaged and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device 2 should be set so as to be shorter than the time required to disengage and re-engage the cartridge 4 from the aerosol provision device 2 (or vice versa) so as not to miss a potential change in the engagement state. The exact maximum period will depend on the specific mechanical (and optionally electrical) mechanism used to engage the cartridge 4 and the aerosol provision device 2 at the interface 6. For example, a screw thread connection may take substantially longer to disconnect and reconnect that a cartridge 4 which is magnetically coupled to the aerosol provision device 2. However, by way of example only, the period between measurements or determinations may be no greater than 100 ms.

Moreover, in the case of the detection circuitry 22 of FIG. 2 , power may be supplied to the circuitry of the aerosol provision system 1 (e.g., electrical contacts 2 a) by the control circuitry 20 for the purposes of performing the measurement of the electrical property of the circuitry of the aerosol provision system 1. In a similar manner, the control circuitry 20 may be configured to supply pulses of power to the circuitry of the aerosol provision system 1 and control detection circuitry 22 to determine when the cartridge is engaged and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device 2 in response to sending a pulse of power in an effort to reduce energy consumption. The maximum time between pulses of power may equally set to a period which is less than the time required to disengage and re-engage the cartridge 4 from the aerosol provision device 2 (or vice versa) so as not to miss a potential change in the engagement state.

Turning now back to FIG. 1 , the control circuitry 20 is arranged to control certain functions of the aerosol provision system 1, but in particular, the control circuitry 20 in accordance with the present disclosure is configured to be able to control / switch operational modes of the aerosol provision device 2. Each of the operational modes may have a distinct characteristic which makes the specific operating mode different from other operating modes.

In this regard, the aerosol provision device 2 may comprise at least two modes, herein referred to as a sleep mode (a first operating mode) and an active mode (a second operating mode).

The sleep mode is considered to be a low power mode of the aerosol provision device 2. Moreover, the sleep mode may be the lowest non-zero power mode of the device. During the sleep mode, the device part 2 remains ready to be used, but consumes very little power. For example, power from the battery 26 may be supplied to the control circuitry 20 and the detection circuitry 22, to continuously or periodically sense whether the cartridge 4 is engaged and/or disengaged with the device part 2, but power may not be supplied to other components of the aerosol provision system, e.g., power may not be supplied to the puff sensor 16 or to the heater 48. Equally, other functions of the control circuitry 20 may be suspended / not powered during the sleep mode.

More importantly during the sleep mode, the aerosol provision system 1 is arranged so as not to generate aerosol (e.g., provide power to the heater 48) in response to a user inhalation. The sleep mode may thus also be referred to as a locked mode, in which the function of the aerosol provision system 1 to generate aerosol is locked to the user of the device when operating in this mode.

The active mode is an operating mode in which power is supplied, or able to be supplied, to the majority, if not all, of the components of the aerosol provision system 1. In particular, in the active mode the aerosol provision system 1 is at least configured to enable power to be supplied to the heater 48 in response to detecting a user inhalation via puff sensor 16 to generate aerosol from the aerosol-generating material in the cartridge 4. Thus, as compared to the sleep mode, during the active mode power is at least additionally supplied to the puff sensor 16, and the function of the control circuitry 20 to supply power to the heater 48 in response to a drop in pressure detected by puff sensor 16 is enabled.

Other operating modes and/or other definitions of the operating modes may be used accordingly depending on the implementation at hand. For example, the aerosol provision system 1 may have an “off” operational mode in which the device part 2 is switched off (i.e., there is no deliberate power drain of the battery 26 and all functions of the control circuitry 20 are suspended). Equally, the locked mode may not be a low power mode as described, but rather a mode which is essentially identical to the active mode but in response to detecting a user inhalation via the pressure sensor 16, the control circuitry 20 does not supply power to the heater 48. Additionally, there may be a plurality of active modes, each having an associated level of power that is supplied to the heater 48, where the level of power supplied to the heater 48 as discussed above may affect the rate of vaporization of e-liquid.

As mentioned above, the control circuitry 20 is configured to receive signaling from the detection circuitry 22 indicative of a change in the engagement state (i.e., when the cartridge 4 changes from being engaged with the aerosol provision device 2 to being disengaged with the aerosol provision device 2 and/or vice versa). In accordance with the principles of the present disclosure, the control circuitry 20 is configured to determine when the cartridge 4 has been engaged with and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device 2 a plurality of times, and in response to such a determination, switch the operating mode of the device from the sleep mode (first operating mode) to the active mode (second operating mode).

Using the engagement and/or disengagement of the cartridge 4 with the aerosol provision device 2 as a user-input mechanism in which the user can input instructions (e.g., to unlock the device) is particularly advantageous. On the one hand, requiring the user to engage and/or disengage the cartridge 4 from the device part 2 is a definite and deliberate action that is less likely to be accidentally undertaken, e.g., when the user fiddles with the device part 2 and cartridge 4 in their hand (depending on the mechanical engagement mechanism between the cartridge 4 and device part 2). Thus, by its very nature, using the engagement and/or disengagement of the cartridge 4 with the aerosol provision device 2 as user input mechanism seeks to reduce the occurrence of accidentally switching the device from the first operating mode to the second operating mode. On the other hand, using the engagement and/or disengagement of the cartridge 4 from the aerosol provision device 2 as a user-input mechanism may enable the system 1 to be designed without more conventional user-input mechanisms (e.g., mechanically actuated buttons) while still allowing the user to be able to input instructions/commands e.g., to change operating modes. For example, by not including a mechanically actuatable button, the overall appearance of the aerosol provision system 1 may be sleeker. Additionally, mechanically actuatable buttons, in some instances, can allow dust ingress into the body of the device part 2 (depending on the configuration of the mechanically actuatable button).

However, in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure, the control circuitry 20 is configured to determine when the cartridge 4 has been engaged with and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device 2 a plurality of times, i.e., two or more times. In this regard, implementations of the present disclosure seek to detect actions associated with the engagement and/or disengagement of the cartridge that go beyond merely changing or replacing the cartridge due to the liquid being depleted. As mentioned above, this may include detecting two or more separate instances of the cartridge 4 being engaged with the device part 2, or detecting two or more separate instances of the cartridge 4 being disengaged with the device part 2. In other implementations, this may also include separately detecting at least one instance when the cartridge 4 is disengaged with the device part 2 and at least two instances when the cartridge 4 is engaged with the device part 2, or detecting at least two instances when the cartridge 4 is disengaged with the device part 2 and at least one instance when the cartridge 4 is engaged with the device part 2. More generally, the control circuitry 20 may be configured to determine when there has been a change in the engagement state of the cartridge 4 and device part 2, i.e., when the state has changed from engaged to disengaged and/or disengaged to engaged, and the control circuitry 20 may determine when there has been a plurality of changes in the engagement state.

By providing the requirement that the control circuitry 20 determines when the cartridge 4 has been engaged with and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device 2 a plurality of times before switching from a first operating mode to a second operating mode further decreases the likelihood of a user accidentally inputting the instruction that switches the operating modes from the first operating mode to the second operating mode. Not only does this help reduce the chance of an adult user accidentally inputting the instruction when subconsciously fiddling with the device part 2 in their hand for example, it also helps reduce the chance of a younger child inputting the correct instruction to switch operating modes and thus inadvertently activing the device for delivering aerosol. By making the user-input instruction to switch to an active mode more and more complex, the chances of accidental activation are progressively lower.

The following discussions focus on several different methods of operation implemented by the control circuitry for switching from the sleep mode (first operating mode) to the active mode (second operating mode) in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 shows a first method of switching the aerosol provision system from the sleep mode to the active mode in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure.

The method starts at step S1 where the aerosol provision system 1 is placed in the sleep mode. As previously stated, the sleep mode is a low power mode that is not configured to generated aerosol in response to detecting a user inhalation. The sleep mode may be the default mode in which the aerosol provision system 1 is in for the majority of its operational lifetime. Alternatively, the sleep mode may be activated from an off mode as mentioned above, e.g., by activating a user-input button (which may have the dedicated function of switching on and off the device).

Regardless of how the aerosol provision system 1 is placed in the sleep mode at step S1, the method proceeds to step S2 where the control circuitry 20 determines whether an engagement and/or disengagement of the cartridge 4 (article) has been detected. More specifically, at step S2 the control circuitry 22 determines whether there has been a change in the engagement state of the cartridge 4 with the aerosol provision device 2. As described above, the detection circuitry 22 may output a signal indicative either of the current engagement state of the cartridge 4 and the device part 2, or indicative of a detected change in the engagement state when such a change is detected.

If at step S2 the control circuitry 20 determines that an engagement and/or disengagement of the cartridge 4 with the device part 2 has not been detected, or more specifically, there is not determined to be a change in the engagement state (i.e., NO at step S2), then the method repeats step S2. Conversely, if the control circuitry 20 determines that an engagement and/or disengagement of the cartridge 4 with the device part 2 has been detected, or more specifically, there is determined to be a change in the engagement state (i.e., YES at step S2), the method proceeds to step S3. It should be appreciated that the step S2 may be continuously or periodically performed as discussed above. That is, the detection circuitry 22 may continuously monitor a parameter indicative of the engagement state of the cartridge 4 and device part 2 and the control circuitry 20 may continuously analyze the signal output from the detection circuitry 22. However, to reduce energy consumption and to reduce processing resources, step S2 may be performed periodically, e.g., once every 100 ms. As discussed above in relation to FIGS. 2 and 3 , the periodicity (or frequency) with which the control circuitry 20 determines whether an engagement or disengagement of the cartridge 4 and the aerosol provision device 2 has been detected (or rather a change in the engagement state) should ideally be set so as to be shorter than the time required to disengage and re-engage the cartridge 4 from the aerosol provision device 2 (or vice versa). The exact period / frequency will depend on the specific mechanical (and optionally electrical) mechanism used to engage the cartridge 4 and the aerosol provision device 2 at the interface 6.

The control circuitry 20 is configured to store a count value which is representative of the number of changes in the engagement state detected by the control circuitry 20. At step S3, once the control circuitry 20 has determined that an engagement and/or disengagement of the cartridge 4 with the aerosol provision device 2 has occurred (or rather, when there has been a change in the engagement state between the aerosol provision device 2 and the cartridge 4), the control circuitry is configured to update the count value by one.

Hence, the control circuitry 20 is configured to cumulatively record / count the number of times the cartridge 4 is engaged with the aerosol provision device 2 and/or the number of times the cartridge is disengaged with the aerosol provision device 2. Accordingly, at step S4, the control circuitry 20 determines whether the current count value has reached (or in other implementations surpassed) a predetermined count value threshold. The count value threshold is set to a number equal to or greater than two, as described above, thus requiring the user to perform multiple sequential engagements and/or disengagements of the cartridge 4 and aerosol provision device 2 before a YES decision is made at step S4. For example, the count threshold value may be set at two (or greater), three (or greater), four (or greater), five (or greater), ten (or greater), fifteen (or greater), or twenty (or greater). These are just some representative examples of the count value threshold however, and the exact number chosen will depend on the specific implementation at hand.

Hence, if at step S4 it is determined that the count value has not reached (or surpassed) the predetermined count value threshold (i.e., a NO at step S4), the method proceeds back to step S2 and the control circuitry 20 waits for the next detection of an engagement and/or disengagement of the cartridge 4 with the aerosol provision device 2. Conversely, if at step S4 it is determined that the count value has reached (or surpassed) the predetermined count value threshold (i.e., a YES at step S4), the method proceeds to step S5 where the control circuitry 20 switches the mode of operation from the sleep mode to the active mode.

Accordingly, the user is now able to activate the heater 48 to generate aerosol from the aerosol-generating material in response to inhaling on the aerosol provision system 1.

In parallel to step S5, the control circuitry 20 may reset the count value to zero. Alternatively and/or additionally, the control circuitry 20 may reset the count value to zero when the aerosol provision system 1 switches back to the sleep mode (described in more detail later).

In parallel or shortly after step S5, the method may optionally proceed to step S6. At step S6, an indication is provided to the user to indicate to the user that the aerosol provision system is now in an active mode. With reference back to FIG. 1 , the aerosol provision device 2 may include an indicator 14 for generating such an indication to the user. The indicator 14 may include, for example, any one or a combination of: an optic element (such as an LED) to provide an optical indication, an acoustic element (such as a speaker) to provide an audible indication, and a haptic feedback element (such as a vibrator) to provide a haptic indication. The indicator 14 may be controlled by the control circuitry 20 to output a suitable indication to the user when the aerosol provision system 1 is switched into the active mode. The indication may be output for the duration of time the device is in the active mode (e.g., an LED may illuminate continuously for this period), or alternatively the indication may be output at or around the time the control circuitry switches the operation modes (e.g., a haptic motor may vibrate for a period of 2 seconds after the control circuitry 20 switches the operational modes).

Alternatively, the indicator 14 may be located on a remote device, such as a smartphone or a smartwatch, which is communicatively coupled to the aerosol provision system 1 using appropriate communication circuitry. Accordingly, the control circuitry 20 may send a signal to the remote indicator at step S5 to cause the remote indicator to display an indication to the user that the aerosol provision system 1 is now in the active mode.

In the implementation of FIG. 4 , the chances of a user accidentally or inadvertently switching the aerosol provision system from the sleep mode, in which aerosol is unable to be generated, to an active mode, in which aerosol is able to generated, e.g., in response to a user’s puff, is proportional solely to the count value threshold. The higher the count value threshold is, the lower the chances of accidentally or inadvertently switching the aerosol provision system to the active mode. For example, setting the count value threshold to a large number such as above 10 or above 20, means that if say, a child, were to obtain the system 1 when unsupervised, it is highly unlikely the child, absent of the knowledge of how to switch the operational modes, would readily disconnect and reconnect the cartridge 4 multiple times.

Additionally, in such implementations, it should be appreciated that in some instances simply replacing the cartridge due to the liquid depleting may trigger a switch from the sleep mode to the active mode. For example, if the control circuitry is configured to update the count value when the engagement state changes from engaged to disengaged and when the engagement state changes from disengaged to engaged, then setting the count value threshold to two means that when a user disengages a depleted cartridge and re-engages a new cartridge, the system switches to the active mode (if previously in the sleep mode). In general, the count value threshold may be set to a value that represents at least two instances of connecting or disconnecting the cartridge. Hence, in the implementation described above, the count threshold may be set to three or more. It should be appreciated that if the control circuitry counts only engagements or disengagements of the cartridge, then the count value threshold may be set to two or more.

However, one drawback to this system is that only the number of times the control circuitry 20 has determined that an engagement and/or disengagement of the cartridge 4 with the aerosol provision device 2 has occurred is monitored. Even if the count value threshold is set high, there may still be a chance that user’s may inadvertently switch the aerosol provision system to the active mode (e.g., when fiddling with the device over the course of a day, it may be reasonable to disconnect and reconnect the cartridge multiple times without necessarily intending to activate the device).

FIG. 5 shows a second method of switching the aerosol provision system from the sleep mode to the active mode in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure. The method of FIG. 5 is largely the same as that of FIG. 4 and similar steps in FIG. 5 are labelled with the same labels as shown in FIG. 4 . A description of these steps is not repeated herein and the user is referred to the discussion around FIG. 4 for more details. Rather, only the differences will be explained in more detail herein for conciseness.

As seen in FIG. 5 , the second method includes the addition step S21, after step S2, of determining if a total switching predetermined time has elapsed.

In this regard, although not shown in FIG. 5 , when the control circuitry 20 first detects an engagement or disengagement of the cartridge 4 with the aerosol provision device 2, the control circuitry 20 may be configured to start a timer running. The control circuitry 20 may be able to identify whether the detected engagement or disengagement is the first in a particular sequence by reference to the current count value - if the current count value is zero, this suggests the detected engagement or disengagement is the first in the sequence. Instead of starting a timer running, the control circuitry 20 may record the time at which the first engagement or disengagement is detected.

Accordingly, after step S2, the method proceeds to step S21 where the control circuitry 20 determines if the total switching predetermined time has elapsed. The total switching time period can be thought of as the maximum permitted time in which the user must perform the predetermined number of engagements and/or disengagements between the cartridge 4 and the device part 2 to successfully transition the system from the sleep mode to the active mode.

The total switching time will be set in accordance with the count value threshold and the specific mechanical engagement mechanism used at interface 6 to engage the cartridge 4 and the device part 2. The total switching time period may be set to be reasonably short so as to mitigate the problems associated with the implementation of FIG. 4 . For example, the total switching time period may be selected from the group comprising: 5 seconds, 4 seconds, 3 seconds and 2 seconds. By way of an example only, for a system 1 in which the cartridge 4 and the device part 2 are engaged magnetically, and the predetermined count value threshold is set to three, the total switching time may be set to two seconds. Accordingly, at step S21, the control circuitry compares the current time of the engagement or disengagement detected at step S2 with the predetermined total switching time period.

If at step S21 the predetermined total switching time has not elapsed (i.e., NO at step S21), the method proceeds to step S3 where the count value is increased, and the method proceeds as described in FIG. 4 . Conversely, if the predetermined total switching time has elapsed (i.e., YES at step S21), the method proceeds to step S22 and S23.

If a determination that the predetermined total switching time has elapsed at step S21 is made, then this signifies that the user has not managed to input the required number of engagements and/or disengagements in the predetermined switching time period. Accordingly, the method may optionally proceed to step S22. At step S22, an indication is provided to the user to indicate to the user that the attempt to switch the aerosol provision system from the first operating mode to the second operating mode was unsuccessful. The indication at step S22 may be provided by the indicator 14 or an additional indicator located on the device part 2 or remote from the device part 2. If the indication is provided by indicator 14, then the indicator may be controlled to output different indications at steps S6 and step S22 (e.g., different colored lights or different flashing sequences).

As mentioned, step S22 is optional as the aerosol provision system 1 may alternatively indicate to the user that the system 1 is in sleep mode when the system 1 is in the sleep mode, or the system 1 may only indicate when the system 1 is in or switches to the active mode (and thus the absence of the indication may signify the attempt with switch operating modes was unsuccessful).

After or in parallel with step S22, or if step S22 is not present, after a YES decision at step S21, the method proceeds to step S23 where the current count value is reset to zero. Thereafter, the method proceeds to step S1 and essentially waits for the first engagement or disengagement of the next sequence.

Accordingly, in the implementation described by FIG. 5 , the user must not only engage and/or disengage the cartridge 4 with the aerosol provision device 2 a plurality of times, but must also do so within a predetermined, relatively short time period in order to be able to switch the system 1 from the first operating mode to the second operating mode. This adds further complexity to the user-input that is required to switch the operational modes and thus further decreases the chances of inadvertently activating the aerosol provision system. Moreover, by including a predetermined total switching time period, the user may inadvertently fiddle with the device over the course of a day and even if the user inadvertently engages and/or disengages the cartridge 4 with the device part 2 the predetermined number of times, may still not switch the operational modes of the system.

Unlike the method described by FIG. 4 , the count value threshold in the above method may be set to two or more regardless of what changes in the engagement state are detected (i.e., even if the control circuitry is configured to update the count value when the engagement state changes from engaged to disengaged and when the engagement state changes from disengaged to engaged). In these implementations, because the predetermined total switching time must also be complied with, even disengaging and engaging the cartridge once can be sufficient to indicate a deliberate user input rather than a replacement of a depleted cartridge with a new cartridge. For example, setting the predetermined total switching time to, e.g., 0.5 seconds, may be sufficiently shorter than the time required for a user to remove the depleted cartridge, locate and pick-up a new cartridge, and engage the new cartridge. However, as with the method of FIG. 4 , increasing the count value threshold to larger numbers, e.g., three or more, four or more, five or more, etc., can help reduce the likelihood of inadvertently switching to the active mode.

FIG. 6 shows a third method of switching the aerosol provision system from the sleep mode to the active mode in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure. The method of FIG. 6 is largely the same as that of FIG. 5 and similar steps in FIG. 6 are labelled with the same labels as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 . A description of these steps is not repeated herein and the user is referred to the discussion around FIGS. 4 and 5 for more details. Rather, only the differences will be explained in more detail herein for conciseness.

The method of FIG. 6 is broadly similar to FIG. 5 but includes an additional step S211 between steps S2 and S21. The step S211 is provided to compare the time between successive engagements and/or disengagements of the cartridge 4 with the aerosol provision device 2 to a predetermined threshold to establish whether the successive engagements and/or disengagements are within a predetermined time (a second predetermined time).

In this regard, broadly speaking, the method of FIG. 6 not only requires that the user inputs the appropriate number of engagements and/or disengagements within a certain total time period, but that the time between the engagements and/or disengagements is below a certain time threshold. For example, the user may be required to input three engagements and/or disengagements in a period of two seconds, where the time between each engagement and/or disengagement is within one second. Accordingly, because the time between successive engagements and/or disengagements is also a parameter by which the switching between the sleep and active operational modes is also governed, the chances of accidentally switching the aerosol provision system 1 to the active mode are relatively lower.

Hence, at step S211, the control circuitry 20 is configured to calculate the difference in time between a previous engagement or disengagement and a current engagement or disengagement of the cartridge 4 with the aerosol provision device 2 and establish whether the difference in time is within a predetermined time (e.g., below a threshold time). The predetermined time may be set based on the mechanical engagement mechanism and also the total switching predetermined time, as discussed above. By way of example only, the predetermined time period may be one second or less.

Accordingly, if at step S211 it is determined by the control circuitry 20 that the time between successive engagements and/or disengagements is within a predetermined time period (i.e., YES at step S211), the method proceeds to step S21 and continues as described in relation to FIG. 5 . Alternatively, if at step S211 it is determined by the control circuitry 20 that the time between successive engagements and/or disengagements is not within a predetermined time period (i.e., NO at step S211), the method proceeds to step optional step S212. Optional step S212 is similar to steps S22 described in relation to FIG. 5 in that an indication is provided to the user to indicate that the switching to the active mode was unsuccessful. The indication may be the same or different to that provided in step S22.

After or in parallel with step S212, or if step S212 is not present, after a YES decision at step S211, the method proceeds to step S23 where the current count value is reset to zero as described previously in FIG. 5 . Thereafter, the method proceeds to step S1 and essentially awaits for the first engagement or disengagement of the next sequence.

Although not shown, in an alternative implementation, at step S211 the control circuitry 20 may be configured to determine whether the time between successive engagements and/or disengagements falls within a predetermined time range. That is, the successive engagements and/or disengagements may be within the range of say, 0.5 s to 1 second in order for the method to proceed to step S21. If the successive engagements and/or disengagements fall outside this range, then the method proceeds to step S212 or step S23 as described above.

Additionally, and although not shown, the method may include an additional step in parallel to step S3, whereby the aerosol provision system indicates to the user that the current engagement and/or disengaged has been counted by the control circuitry 20. The indication may be provided by indicator 14, an alternative indicator on the device part 2, or a remote indicator formed as part of a remote device such as a smartwatch or smartphone. Providing such an indicator can give assurances to the user that they are inputting the correct input. This may be particularly advantageous in systems where the input is particularly complex and has a high count value.

FIG. 7 shows a fourth method of switching the aerosol provision system from the sleep mode to the active mode in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure. The method of FIG. 7 is largely the same as that of FIG. 6 and similar steps in FIG. 7 are labelled with the same labels as shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 . A description of these steps is not repeated herein and the user is referred to the discussion around FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 for more details. Rather, only the differences will be explained in more detail herein for conciseness.

FIG. 7 is largely identical to FIG. 6 with the exception that step S211 is replaced by steps S211 b and S211 a. Essentially, the method of FIG. 7 details the scenario where the time between a first pair of successive detections of the cartridge 4 being engaged and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device 2 and a second pair of successive detections of the cartridge 4 being engaged and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device 2 are different. In other words, let us assume there is a sequence of a first engagement, a first disengagement, and a second engagement. The predetermined time for performing the first disengagement relative to the time of the first engagement may be set at a first predetermined time, say 1.5 seconds or less. Hence, if the first disengagement occurs at a time of less than 1.5 seconds after the time of the first engagement (and assuming the predetermined total switching time has not elapsed), the count value is increased by one. However, the predetermined time for performing the second engagement relative to the time of the first disengagement may be set at a second predetermined time, say 0.75 seconds or less. Hence, if the second engagement occurs at a time of less than 0.75 seconds after the time of the first disengagement (and assuming the predetermined total switching time has not elapsed), the count value is increased by one. In this way, the complexity of the input sequence is further increased as the user must know how quickly (or slowly) to perform the engagement or disengagement in order for the engagement or disengagement to be registered as successful and for the count value to increase accordingly. Hence, by providing a more complex input signal, the chances of inadvertently switching the device to an active state are relatively reduced.

In more detail, the method of FIG. 7 includes step S211 b located after step S2. Here the control circuitry 20 is configured what the predetermined time should be for the current pair of successive engagements and/or disengagements. In the example, the control circuitry 20 may store a table associating the possible count values with corresponding time periods. For example, a count value of 1 may be associated with the time period of 1.5 seconds, a count value of 2 may be associated with a time period of 0.75 seconds, etc. up to a count value corresponding to the predetermined count value threshold. The count value of 0 may not be associated with any time period and the method may skip step S211 a and proceed straight to step S21 if the count value is 0. Thus, it should be appreciated that the count value of 1 relates to the time period between the first detection of an engagement and/or disengagement and the second detection of the engagement and/or disengagement, and so on.

Once the control circuitry 20 has identified the predetermined time for the given pair of successive engagements and/or disengagements, the method proceeds to step S211 a which is essentially identical to step S211 of FIG. 6 but compares the difference in time between the current engagement or disengagement and the previous engagement or disengagement with the predetermined threshold corresponding to the count value. Otherwise, steps S211 a proceeds in the same way as step S211.

As described in relation to FIG. 6 , the predetermined threshold between successive engagements and/or disengagements may be a range (that is, the time between successive engagements and/or disengagements must fall within the time range in order to progress to step S21). Hence, the control circuitry 20 may store values indicating a time range against the corresponding count values.

Additionally, it should be appreciated that in FIGS. 6 and 7 , steps S21 may be omitted entirely in certain implementations, and thus steps S211 and S211 a proceed directly to step S3.

Hence, broadly speaking, the implementations shown in FIGS. 4 to 7 described various ways in which the user is able to use a plurality of detected engagements and/or disengagements of the cartridge 4 (or more generally article) with the aerosol provision device 2 to switch operational modes of the aerosol provision system. Requiring the user to perform a plurality of engagements and/or disengagements of the cartridge 4 with the device part 2 to switch the system from a sleep mode to an active mode decreases the overall chances of a user inadvertently placing the system 1 in a mode where it can generate aerosol. Moreover, as should be appreciated by FIGS. 4 and 7 , the more complex the requirements placed around the plurality of engagements and/or disengagements of the cartridge 4 with the device part 2, the lower the relative chances of a user inadvertently placing the system 1 in a state in an active state in which aerosol can be generated. Particularly when the system 1 ends up in the hands of children, providing increasing complex mechanisms which require some degree of dexterity, some degree of patience, and/or some degree of prior knowledge can help to improve the overall safety of the device and decrease the possibility for a child (or adult user) to deliberately guess or inadvertently input the number and/or sequence of engagements and detections that are required to switch the device to the active mode.

It should be appreciated that present disclosure is not limited to the implementations of FIGS. 4 to 7 , and these implementations show several examples of the principles of the present disclosure. Variations on the methods and or different approaches which use the same principles and achieve the same result may become apparent to the skilled person when considering this disclosure.

In some implementations, the parameters defining the sequence of engagements and/or disengagements required to switch the system 1 to an active mode are predefined and set in advance. Such parameters may include the count value threshold of step S4, the total switching time of step S21, and the predetermined time between successive engagements and/or disengagements of step S211 or the predetermined time between successive engagements and/or disengagements of step S211 a. These parameters may be pre-set by the manufacturer and are unchangeable by the user. In some implementations, different device parts 2 may have the same or different pre-set parameters, and accordingly may be provided with information at point of sale that enables a user to learn the parameters to be able to switch the operational modes accordingly.

Alternatively, in other implementations, the parameters may be programmable by a user, e.g., through a computer, smartphone, or the like coupled to the aerosol provision device 2. In this way the user can personalize the sequence of engagements and/or disengagements required to switch operational modes. In some implementations, the sequence of engagements and/or disengagements may bet set in accordance with a PIN (personal identification number). For example, if the PIN is set to 1234, for example, the first pair of engagements and/or disengagements can be set to be performed in less that 1 second of each other to register the “1”. The predetermined time between successive engagements and/or disengagements may be set in accordance with a predetermined range, e.g., of between 2 to 4 seconds. Having the lower limit of the range here set at a reasonably high value, provides a pause in the input sequence which would signify, to the user at least, that the next number of the pin is to be inserted. Accordingly, to input the number “2”, a first pair and second pair of successive engagements (i.e., two distinct inputs) and/or disengagements may each be input in a period of less than 1 second, as before. Accordingly, to input a PIN sequence different criteria may be applied to inputting a particular entry of the PIN versus inputting the next entry of the PIN. Furthermore, an indication may be provided to indicate that the entry of the PIN was correctly received. That is, the indication may be provided in the period between entries of the PIN. The indication may be provided in accordance with any of the techniques described above.

FIG. 8 shows an example method for switching the device part 2 from the active mode to the sleep mode. In other words, the method of FIG. 8 follows from step S6 in FIGS. 4 to 7 .

The method begins at step S7 with the device part 2 operating in active mode. FIG. 8 shows the method proceeding to step S8 and then to S9 as will be described in more detail below. However, it should be appreciated that the method may include at least one of step S8 and S9 depending on the particular implementation at hand, and thus the method may be adjusted from that described.

At step S8 the control circuitry determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed. The predetermined time may be a time period set in advance from the moment the active mode is switched to in step S5. For example, the predetermined time may be set to 10 minutes and once the predetermined time has elapsed (i.e., a YES at step S8), the control circuitry is configured to switch the operating mode from the active mode to the sleep mode at step S10. Alternatively, the predetermined time may be a time period measured from the last detection of an inhalation as detected by puff sensor 16 while in active mode. The time period may be set, for example, to two minutes in this implementation. Again, once the predetermined time has elapsed (i.e., a YES at step S8), the control circuitry is configured to switch the operating mode from the active mode to the sleep mode at step S10 as described.

If the predetermined time has not elapsed at step S8 (i.e., NO at step S8), the method may proceed to step S9 if present, or may loop back to S8 if step S9 is not present. At step S9, the control circuitry 20 determines whether there has been at least one engagement and/or disengagement of the cartridge 4 with the device part 2. It should be appreciated that this engagement and/or disengagement is not counted in the steps of FIGS. 4 to 7 . However, in some implementations, step S9 may include a similar process to that described in FIGS. 4 to 7 . That is, in some instances the same or a similar sequence of engagements and/or disengagements may be used to switch the aerosol provision system into the sleep mode from the active mode as is required to switch the aerosol provision system into the active mode from the sleep mode. However, as the sleep mode is the mode in which less power is consumed and aerosol is not generated, the complexity to switch to the sleep mode from the active mode to reduce the chances of inadvertently switching modes may not be required. Thus, a single engagement or (most likely) disengagement of the cartridge 4 and device part 2 may be sufficient. If at least one engagement and/or disengagement is detected at step S9 (i.e., a YES at step S9), the method proceeds to step S10 when the control circuitry 20 engages the sleep mode. Conversely, if the determination at step S9 is NO, the method proceeds back to step S8.

Once the device part 2 is back in the sleep mode, the user must perform a suitable process (e.g., such as those in FIGS. 4 to 7 ) to switch the device part 2 to the active mode once again.

Again, it should be appreciated that the method shown in FIG. 8 is exemplary only and the skilled person may be able to make suitable adjustments to the method based on the principles of the disclosure herein.

While the above disclosure has generally focused on the provision of a system 1 in which a cartridge 4 containing a liquid aerosol-generating material is electrically and mechanically coupled to the aerosol provision device 2, it should be appreciated that the principles of present disclosure may be applied to other systems aerosolizing other aerosol generating materials as alluded to above. In a particular example, the aerosol provision device may comprise a cylindrical, tube shaped heater which defines a partially enclosed receptacle into which an article comprising a tobacco rod wrapped in a paper wrapper may be inserted. Such a device may be known as a tobacco heating device or the like. Accordingly, the article does not form an electrical engagement with the aerosol provision device 2 but does form a mechanical engagement in that the article abuts the surface of the receptacle and may be (loosely) held by friction. In such an arrangement, it is envisaged that the optical sensing element 22 a of FIG. 3 may be used to detect when the article is engaged with (i.e., located in the receptacle) or disengaged with (i.e., located or partially outside of the receptacle), and thus the principles of the present disclosure (in particular FIGS. 4 through 7 ) apply equally here.

While the above has focused on systems which are puff actuated, it should be appreciated that the scope of this disclosure applies similarly to button actuated device or a combination of button and puff actuated devices. In a similar manner, when the control circuitry 20 places the device part 2 in the sleep state, pressing of the user input button which otherwise would enable power to be supplied to the heater, is prevented from doing so. The user input button may be a mechanical button, for example comprising a spring mounted component which may be pressed by a user to establish an electrical contact, although the specific manner in which the button is implemented is not significant. For example, different forms of mechanical button or touch-sensitive button (e.g. based on capacitive or optical sensing techniques) may be used in other implementations. The specific manner in which the button is implemented may, for example, be selected having regard to a desired aesthetic appearance.

The above has focused on systems which comprise detection circuitry configured to detect when the article is engaged and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device and to switch the operating mode when the article has been engaged with and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device a plurality of times. However, aspects of the present disclosure may be applied to other types of input and not just limited to the detection of the engaged with and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device, while still providing a complex user input that helps to prevent or reduce accidental activation.

For example, in FIGS. 6 and 7 , it is described at steps S211 in FIG. 6 and S211 a and S211 b in FIG. 7 that the time between the previous engagement / disengagement and the current engagement / disengagement is within a predetermined time limit. However, in other implementations, the same steps can be applied to different types of input, such as a button press received via a button on the device housing of the aerosol provision device, a motion and/or tap received via an accelerometer/gyroscope of the aerosol provision device, or an inhalation received via a puff or flow sensor in the aerosol provision device. In such implementations, the control circuitry of the aerosol provision device is configured to determine whether consecutive user inputs are received within a predetermined time (either a fixed predetermined time or within a variable time depending on the input within the sequence of inputs). If the user input is received within the predetermined time, then the count value increases by one, as discussed in a similar manner to FIGS. 6 and 7 . However, in these implementations, the detection circuitry is configured to detect any of the user inputs mentioned above - this could be a single type of user input or combinations of user inputs (e.g., a tap followed by a disconnection of the article). When the user input is received, as mentioned, the count is updated. In a similar manner, when the count value reaches a predefined limit, the control circuitry switches the aerosol provision device from a first operating mode to a second operating mode.

More explicitly, with reference to FIG. 6 , at step S2 the control circuitry determines whether a user input has been detected. If a user input has been detected at step S2, the method proceeds to step S211. As mentioned above, the user input may be a specific type of input, such as a button press or the engagement/disengagement of the cartridge 4 from the device 2 such that only if the specific user input is detected does the control circuitry determine that a user input has been detected, or the method may proceed to step S211 if any user input of a plurality of user inputs is detected (e.g., it may be any one of a button press, cartridge engagement, etc.).

At step S211, a comparison is made between the previous user input and the current user input and, in particular, whether the time between the previous user input and the current user input is within a predetermined time limit. The same principles as discussed with step S211 in FIG. 6 above may be applied here, but more generally to any type of user input. By way of example only, if the previous user input is a button press and the current user input is a disconnection of the cartridge 4 from the aerosol provision device 2, at step S211 the control circuitry determines whether the cartridge 4 disconnection occurred, e.g., within 2 seconds after the press of the button. If YES at step S211, the method proceeds to step S21 where the control circuitry determines whether the total switching time has elapsed in a similar manner as described in FIG. 6 . The method then proceeds as described previously.

In respect of FIG. 7 , similar modifications may be made in accordance with the above, but steps S211 a and S211 b are applied more broadly to any user input.

Hence, in these implementations, the control circuitry determines when to switch the operating mode of the aerosol provision device based on the count value reaching a predetermined threshold, where the count value is representative of the number of user inputs received / detected by the detection circuity. The count value is incremented based on the user inputs being detected within a predetermined time of one another.

In some implementations, the count value may be updated based on random user inputs. For example, if the aerosol provision device is provided with an accelerometer, a puff sensor, and a button all as user input mechanisms, and if the predetermined threshold for switching operating modes is set to three, then any three of the inputs provided may cause the device to switch operating modes, provided the inputs are received in accordance within the predetermined time of one another. For example, a sequence of a button press, a puff and a tap may cause the switching of the operating modes, and equally a sequence of a puff, a tap and a button press may case the switching of the operating modes. In other implementations, the count value may be updated based on a predefined sequence of user inputs - for example, only a button press followed by a puff will cause the count value to update from 1 to 2, for example. In these implementations, at steps S2 or S211 a and S211 b may be preceded by an additional step that the control circuitry checks what the next user input is expected to be in order to determine whether the correct user input is received at step S2 or whether the correct input is received in time at step S211 a.

The timing between the different user inputs may be based on the previous user input or it may be based on the position in the sequence of user inputs (or the count value). For example, the time between the first user input and the second user may be set to be e.g., 2 seconds, while the time between the second user input and the third user input may be set to 0.75 seconds - meaning the user must “hurry” to input the third user input in comparison to inputting the second user input. Alternatively, if the previous user input is a puff, then the time to provide the next input may be 2 seconds (to give the user time to move the device away from their lips, for example), whereas if the previous user input is a button press, the time to provide the next input may be relatively shorter at 0.75 seconds, for example.

Hence, in broad summary, the above can be summarized as: an aerosol provision system for generating aerosol from an aerosol-generating material, the system comprising: aerosol-generating material; an aerosol provision device configured to enable generation of aerosol from the aerosol-generating material; detection circuitry for detecting user input input to the aerosol provision device; and control circuitry for controlling operation of the aerosol provision device, wherein the control circuitry is configured to switch the aerosol provision device from a first operating mode to a second operating mode when the control circuitry determines that a plurality of user inputs have been detected a predetermined number of times, and the time between successive detections of each user input of the plurality of user inputs is within a predetermined time period.

In some implementations, the control circuitry is configured to count the number of user inputs received by the aerosol provision device, and when the number surpasses a predetermined threshold, and the time between successive detections of each user input of the plurality of user inputs is within the predetermined time period, switch the aerosol provision device from the first operating mode to the second operating mode.

In some implementations, the control circuitry is further configured to monitor the time between successive user inputs and, if the time between successive detected user inputs is within the predetermined time period, the control circuitry increases the count of the number of user inputs by one.

In some implementations, the predetermined time period between a first user input and a second user input is different to the predetermined time period between the second user input and a third user input.

In some implementations, the predetermined time period between the first user input and the second user input is based on the type of the first user input, and/or the predetermined time period between the second user input and the third user input is based on the type of the second user input.

In some implementations, the predetermined time period between successive user inputs is based on the count of the number of user inputs.

In some implementations, the plurality of user inputs includes user inputs selected from the group comprising: a button press, a tap, a motion or gesture, an inhalation, and an engagement and/or disengagement of an article comprising aerosol generating material to/from the aerosol provision device.

In some implementations, the control circuitry is configured to receive a predetermined sequence of expected user inputs, wherein at least two of the expected user inputs are different types of user input, and the control circuitry is configured to count the number of user inputs received by the aerosol provision device and increase the count of the number of user inputs received by the aerosol provision device if the type of the received user input matches the type of the expected user input according to the predetermined sequence.

In some implementations, the control circuitry is configured to cause activation of an indicator to indicate to the user that the control circuitry has successfully counted the successive user inputs.

In some implementations, the first operating mode is a mode in which the generation of aerosol from the aerosol-generating material of the article is prevented, and wherein the second operating mode is a mode in which the generation of aerosol from the aerosol-generating material of the article is permitted.

In some implementations, the control circuitry is configured to cause activation of an indicator to indicate to the user that the aerosol provision device has switched from the first operating mode to the second operating mode.

In some implementations, the control circuitry is configured such that the user is able to program aspects of the control circuity associated with switching the aerosol provision device from the first operating mode to the second operating mode.

Thus, there has been described an aerosol provision system for generating aerosol from an aerosol-generating material. The system comprises an article comprising the aerosol-generating material and an aerosol provision device configured to engage with the article and to enable generation of aerosol from the aerosol-generating material. The system further includes detection circuitry for detecting when the article is engaged and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device, and control circuitry for controlling operation of the aerosol provision device. The control circuitry is configured to switch the aerosol provision device from a first operating mode to a second operating mode when the control circuitry determines the article has been engaged with and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device a plurality of times. By requiring both that the user must engage and/or disengage the article and the device, and that the user must do so a plurality of times, further reduces the chances of the user inadvertently switching to the second operating mode. Also disclosed is an aerosol provision device and a method for switching from the first operating mode to the second operating mode.

There has also been disclosed an aerosol provision system for generating aerosol from an aerosol-generating material, the system comprising: an article comprising the aerosol-generating material; an aerosol provision device configured to engage with the article and to enable generation of aerosol from the aerosol-generating material; detection circuitry for detecting when the article is engaged and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device, and configured to output a signal indicative of an engagement state of the article and aerosol provision device; and control circuitry for controlling the operation of the aerosol provision device. The control circuitry is configured to receive the signal indicative of an engagement state of the article and aerosol provision device, to count instances when the engagement state has changed, and to switch the aerosol provision device from a first operating mode to a second operating mode when the control circuitry determines the engagement state has changed a plurality of times.

Thus there is also described an aerosol provision system for generating aerosol from an aerosol-generating material, the system comprising: aerosol-generating material; an aerosol provision device configured to enable generation of aerosol from the aerosol-generating material; detection circuitry for detecting user input input to the aerosol provision device; and control circuitry for controlling operation of the aerosol provision device, wherein the control circuitry is configured to switch the aerosol provision device from a first operating mode to a second operating mode when the control circuitry determines that a plurality of user inputs have been detected a predetermined number of times, and the time between successive detections of each user input of the plurality of user inputs is within a predetermined time period.

There is also described an aerosol provision device for use with an aerosol generating system for generating aerosol from an aerosol-generating material, the system comprising an article comprising the aerosol-generating material, the aerosol provision device comprising: detection circuitry for detecting a user input input to the aerosol provision device; and control circuitry for controlling operation of the aerosol provision device, wherein the control circuitry is configured to switch the aerosol provision device from a first operating mode to a second operating mode when the control circuitry determines that a plurality of user inputs have been detected a predetermined number of times, and the time between successive detections of each user input of the plurality of user inputs is within a predetermined time period.

There is also described a method of switching an aerosol provision device from a first operating mode to a second operating mode, the method comprising: detecting a user input input to the aerosol provision device; and switching the aerosol provision device from a first operating mode to a second operating mode when a plurality of user inputs have been detected a predetermined number of times, and the time between successive detections of each user input of the plurality of user inputs is within a predetermined time period.

While the above described embodiments have in some respects focused on some specific example aerosol provision systems, it will be appreciated the same principles can be applied for aerosol provision systems using other technologies. That is to say, the specific manner in which various aspects of the aerosol provision system function are not directly relevant to the principles underlying the examples described herein.

In order to address various issues and advance the art, this disclosure shows by way of illustration various embodiments in which the claimed invention(s) may be practiced. The advantages and features of the disclosure are of a representative sample of embodiments only, and are not exhaustive and/or exclusive. They are presented only to assist in understanding and to teach the claimed invention(s). It is to be understood that advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and/or other aspects of the disclosure are not to be considered limitations on the disclosure as defined by the claims or limitations on equivalents to the claims, and that other embodiments may be utilized and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claims. Various embodiments may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of, various combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc. other than those specifically described herein, and it will thus be appreciated that features of the dependent claims may be combined with features of the independent claims in combinations other than those explicitly set out in the claims. The disclosure may include other inventions not presently claimed, but which may be claimed in future. 

1. An aerosol provision system for generating aerosol from an aerosol-generating material, the system comprising: an article comprising the aerosol-generating material; an aerosol provision device configured to engage with the article and to enable generation of aerosol from the aerosol-generating material; detection circuitry for detecting when the article is engaged and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device; and control circuitry for controlling operation of the aerosol provision device, wherein the control circuitry is configured to switch the aerosol provision device from a first operating mode to a second operating mode when the control circuitry determines the article has been engaged with and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device a plurality of times.
 2. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, wherein the first operating mode is a mode in which the generation of aerosol from the aerosol-generating material of the article is prevented, and wherein the second operating mode is a mode in which the generation of aerosol from the aerosol-generating material of the article is permitted.
 3. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to cause activation of an indicator to indicate to the user that the aerosol provision device has switched from the first operating mode to the second operating mode.
 4. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, wherein the detection circuitry is configured to output a signal indicative of an engagement state of the article and aerosol provision device, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to receive the signal indicative of an engagement state of the article and aerosol provision device, to count instances when the engagement state has changed, and to switch the aerosol provision device from the first operating mode to the second operating mode when the control circuitry determines the engagement state has changed a plurality of times.
 5. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to count the number of times the article is engaged and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device, and when the number surpasses a predetermined threshold, switch the aerosol provision device from the first operating mode to the second operating mode: wherein optionally, the control circuitry is further configured to count the number of times the article is engaged and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device within a first predetermined time period from when the detection circuitry first detects the article is engaged and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device, and if the number surpasses a predetermined threshold within the first predetermined time period from the initial detection of the article being engaged and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device, switch the aerosol provision device from the first operating mode to the second operating mode, wherein further optionally, the first predetermined time period is selected from the group comprising: 5 seconds, 4 seconds, 3 seconds and 2 seconds. 6–7. (canceled)
 6. The aerosol provision system of claim 5, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to monitor the time between successive detections of the article being engaged and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device and, if the time between successive detections of the article being engaged and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device is within a second predetermined time period, the control circuitry increases the count of the number of times the article is engaged and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device by one, wherein optionally, the second predetermined time period is different between a first pair of successive detections of the article being engaged and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device and a second pair of successive detections of the article being engaged and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device.
 9. (canceled)
 7. The aerosol provision system of claim 8, wherein the control circuitry is configured to cause activation of an indicator to indicate to the user that the control circuitry has successfully counted the successive detections of the article being engaged and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device.
 8. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, wherein when the aerosol provision device is in the second operating mode, the control circuitry is configured to switch the aerosol provision device from the second operating mode to the first operating mode when the control circuitry determines the article has been engaged with and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device at least one time.
 9. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, wherein when the aerosol provision device is in the second operating mode, the control circuitry is configured to switch the aerosol provision device from the second operating mode to the first operating mode after a fourth predetermined period has elapsed.
 10. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured such that the user is able to program aspects of the control circuity associated with switching the aerosol provision device from the first operating mode to the second operating mode.
 11. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, wherein the detection circuitry is configured to detect when the article is engaged and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device by sensing a parameter indicative of the presence and/or absence of the article, wherein optionally, the detection circuitry is configured to detect when the article is engaged and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device by detecting a change in the electrical properties of the aerosol provision device.
 15. (canceled)
 12. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to supply power to an electrical component of the aerosol provision device designed to transfer electrical power to the article, and when the article is engaged with the aerosol provision device, the detection circuitry is configured to determine a change in the electrical properties associated with the electrical component, wherein optionally, the control circuitry is configured to supply power to the electrical component of the aerosol provision device in the form of pulses of power, wherein each pulse of power is separated by a third predetermined time period, the predetermined time period corresponding to a time period less than a time required to disengage the article from the aerosol provision device.
 17. (canceled)
 13. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, wherein the article comprises a pair of electrical contacts coupled to a resistive element, and wherein the electrical component of the aerosol provision device comprises corresponding electrical contacts arranged to engage with the electrical contacts of the article, and wherein the detection circuitry is configured to detect whether the article is engaged and/or disengaged as a result of a change in the resistance between electrical contacts of the aerosol provision device, wherein optionally, the detection circuitry comprises a light sensor arranged to measure a level of light, and the detection circuitry is configured to detect when the article is engaged and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device by detecting a change in the measured level of light.
 19. (canceled)
 14. The aerosol provision system of claim 1, wherein the aerosol provision device does not include a user operated button.
 15. An aerosol provision device for use with an aerosol generating system for generating aerosol from an aerosol-generating material, the system comprising an article comprising the aerosol-generating material, the aerosol provision device comprising: an interface configured to engage with the article and to enable generation of aerosol from the aerosol-generating material; detection circuitry for detecting when the article is engaged and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device; and control circuitry for controlling operation of the aerosol provision device, wherein the control circuitry is configured to switch the aerosol provision device from a first operating mode to a second operating mode when the control circuitry determines the article has been engaged with and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device a plurality of times.
 16. A method of switching an aerosol provision device from a first operating mode to a second operating mode, the method comprising: detecting when an article comprising aerosol-generating material is engaged and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device; and switching the aerosol provision device from a first operating mode to a second operating mode when the article has been engaged with and/or disengaged with the aerosol provision device a plurality of times. 23–24. (canceled)
 17. An aerosol provision system for generating aerosol from an aerosol-generating material, the system comprising: aerosol-generating material; an aerosol provision device configured to enable generation of aerosol from the aerosol-generating material; detection circuitry for detecting user input input to the aerosol provision device; and control circuitry for controlling operation of the aerosol provision device, wherein the control circuitry is configured to switch the aerosol provision device from a first operating mode to a second operating mode when the control circuitry determines that a plurality of user inputs have been detected a predetermined number of times, and the time between successive detections of each user input of the plurality of user inputs is within a predetermined time period.
 18. The aerosol provision system of claim 25, wherein the control circuitry is configured to count the number of user inputs received by the aerosol provision device, and when the number surpasses a predetermined threshold, and the time between successive detections of each user input of the plurality of user inputs is within the predetermined time period, switch the aerosol provision device from the first operating mode to the second operating mode, wherein optionally, the control circuitry is further configured to monitor the time between successive user inputs and, if the time between successive detected user inputs is within the predetermined time period, the control circuitry increases the count of the number of user inputs by one.
 27. (canceled)
 19. The aerosol provision system of claim 25 , wherein the predetermined time period between a first user input and a second user input is different to the predetermined time period between the second user input and a third user input.
 20. The aerosol provision system of claim 28, wherein the predetermined time period between the first user input and the second user input is based on the type of the first user input, and/or the predetermined time period between the second user input and the third user input is based on the type of the second user input; or when dependent on claim 26, wherein the predetermined time period between successive user inputs is based on the count of the number of user inputs.
 30. (canceled)
 21. The aerosol provision system of claim 25, wherein the plurality of user inputs includes user inputs selected from the group comprising: a button press, a tap, a motion or gesture, an inhalation, and an engagement and/or disengagement of an article comprising aerosol generating material to/from the aerosol provision device.
 22. The aerosol provision system of claim 25 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to receive a predetermined sequence of expected user inputs, wherein at least two of the expected user inputs are different types of user input, and the control circuitry is configured to count the number of user inputs received by the aerosol provision device and increase the count of the number of user inputs received by the aerosol provision device if the type of the received user input matches the type of the expected user input according to the predetermined sequence.
 23. The aerosol provision system of claim 25 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to cause activation of an indicator to indicate to the user that the control circuitry has successfully counted the successive user inputs.
 24. The aerosol provision system of claim 25, wherein the first operating mode is a mode in which the generation of aerosol from the aerosol-generating material of the article is prevented, and wherein the second operating mode is a mode in which the generation of aerosol from the aerosol-generating material of the article is permitted.
 25. The aerosol provision system of claim 25, wherein the control circuitry is configured to cause activation of an indicator to indicate to the user that the aerosol provision device has switched from the first operating mode to the second operating mode.
 26. The aerosol provision system of claim 25 , wherein the control circuitry is configured such that the user is able to program aspects of the control circuity associated with switching the aerosol provision device from the first operating mode to the second operating mode.
 27. An aerosol provision device for use with an aerosol generating system for generating aerosol from an aerosol-generating material, the system comprising an article comprising the aerosol-generating material, the aerosol provision device comprising: detection circuitry for detecting a user input input to the aerosol provision device; and control circuitry for controlling operation of the aerosol provision device, wherein the control circuitry is configured to switch the aerosol provision device from a first operating mode to a second operating mode when the control circuitry determines that a plurality of user inputs have been detected a predetermined number of times, and the time between successive detections of each user input of the plurality of user inputs is within a predetermined time period.
 28. A method of switching an aerosol provision device from a first operating mode to a second operating mode, the method comprising: detecting a user input input to the aerosol provision device; and switching the aerosol provision device from a first operating mode to a second operating mode when a plurality of user inputs have been detected a predetermined number of times, and the time between successive detections of each user input of the plurality of user inputs is within a predetermined time period. 